pyrite - fool's gold from the Huanzala Mine, Peru - UNIT OF 5 STUDENT SPECIMENS

Description

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pyrite  FeS
2
Teaching student specimens of brilliant pyrite from the
Huanzalá Mine, Huallanca, Áncash Department, Peru - Unit of 5 student specimens
Pyrite, iron sulfate, or fool's gold, is the most common sulfide mineral. As it oxidizes, it changes from iron sulfate to iron oxide and takes in water, becoming limonite. This change releases sulfur, which forms sulfuric acid that dissolves other minerals in the original ore, allowing them to be washed downward by rainwater. The leached zone is easily mined. Pyrite is used as an iron ore where oxide ores are not available.
The San Jose de Huanzalá mine was discovered in 1721 and later abandoned. In the 1960s, it was operated by Cia. Minera Santa Luisa, which was purchased in 1964 by Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co of Japan, which continues to operate the mine
(photo)
for lead and zinc. The
Huanzalá mine
may hold the record for the total tonnage of mineral specimens produced by a single mine. It is famous for its pyrite and fluorite specimens.
You are buying a unit of five student specimens.
The photos are representative of what we ship.
We really don't like the tiny finger nail-sized specimens offered to students, as we feel these are too small to see rock textures and too small for examining the identifying characteristics of a mineral. We collect these specimens so that five specimens, or possibly six, will fit in a small flat rate box, and we keep the price low, as we know these will be used in a classroom. For teachers we count like a baker and a dozen is more than 12, since you will always need a few spares.
If you are a teacher, let us know. These specimens are slightly smaller by our standards, but shipping iron ore from Peru is expensive. These are decent for the classroom.
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Ships in a small Priority Mail flat rate box unless combined with other purchases. We always combine shipping to get your purchase to you at the lowest cost. We do not charge for handling. We refund any overpayments on shipping beyond our actual cost. A second unit moves the shipment into a larger box. We can generally ship 4 to 5 student units or a number of hand specimens in that box with no further increase in postage.
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